


A Detailed Explanation

by Chronomorphosis



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Hand of Thrawn Duology - Timothy Zahn, Star Wars Legends: Thrawn Trilogy - Timothy Zahn
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-01
Updated: 2015-12-01
Packaged: 2018-05-04 08:10:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5326946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chronomorphosis/pseuds/Chronomorphosis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Over ten years after his supposed death, Thrawn explains to Pellaeon how he is, in fact, very much alive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Detailed Explanation

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t pretend to have all the Expanded Universe - I'M SORRY LEGENDS - knowledge down perfectly, but since I don’t take canon character death well at all, this is my personal fantasy headcanon on a possible Thrawn return. I don't really expect it's easy-reading material since there's really not much of a plot, but I guess I just needed to set the backdrop for anything else I might end up writing.  
> ...Not really a shipping fic, although there are barely-there, tiny allusions to future Thrawn/Pellaeon shipping.

“Forgive me, Grand Admiral, for expressing so many doubts about you earlier.” 

Thrawn regarded Pellaeon with a smile. “All is forgiven, Admiral. And frankly I would have been concerned had you not expressed such doubt. You did after all, watch me die. Seeing me alive and well without any explanation was bound to be rather… disturbing.” 

“I assumed you were another con artist or even a clone, but -”

Thrawn held up a hand. “In that regard, you are at least partially correct.”

Pellaeon’s thought process froze, and he could practically feel his heart sink. No, it wasn’t true. He had lost Thrawn once already, and it had been devastating. And then there had been the possibility he had returned, but that had turned out to be so much smoke and mirrors. And now to have him standing right in front of him, and claim he was in fact just a clone? His gut felt like he’d just been punched.“…Sir?”

Thrawn invariably had noticed his subordinate’s shock, and still held up his hand to stay any further questions. “Allow me to explain in full detail. You see Admiral, The Spaarti cloning cylinders have several unique properties that their counterparts within Kaminoan technology have no equivalent. But even those properties are not brought to their fullest potential unless there is some, shall we say, inhibition of natural life processes that are not quite fully understood.”

Pellaeon shook his head. “I’m afraid I don’t understand, sir.”

Thrawn nodded, indicating the ysalamiri draped over the frame that wrapped around the back of his command chair. “The same Force-blocking property that creates a protective bubble for these creatures in their natural environment also protects a clone while it is developing. That is how we managed to grow so many mentally stable clones during my first campaign against the Rebellion, and incidentally was also how we could grow them so quickly. Once they are fully mature and their brains have developed completely, they no longer need the protection against whatever natural system the Force may or may not be, and can be safely removed from the range of ysalamiri.”

“I understand that, Grand Admiral, I just don’t see what that has to do with you.”

Thrawn’s smile tightened. “There are technologies that can do things that the Jedi of the Old Republic thought were restricted only to those special adepts of their own various sects and dogmas. We know now - I know now - that they were gravely mistaken. I have personally witnessed alien technology replicate, and even best, the kinds of actions and effects that this so-called Force of the Jedi Knights was supposed to have a monopoly on. And one of those actions is something called the transferring of essence.”

Pellaeon had heard that term before. The late - and late again, and again - Emperor Palpatine himself had apparently performed that procedure using the so-called dark side of the Force to move from clone body to clone body, retaining his own personality, memories, and that elusive something that made someone their own unique individual. His soul, perhaps. To hear the Grand Admiral Thrawn mention such things was…

“Preposterous, Admiral Pellaeon?” Thrawn cut in through Pellaeon’s musings, always acutely aware of the subtle changes in his subordinate’s facial expressions that betrayed so much of his thoughts and feelings. “Perhaps preposterous, but also very true. As my reputation spread among our adversaries, and even among those we thought our allies, it was inevitable that there would be some sort of assassination attempt on my person. To prepare for such a contingency, I had extensive preliminary experiments done on several death row criminals and their own clone bodies to ensure that the process could in fact work on someone who was not a Jedi or a Sith.”

Pellaeon shifted his weight from one foot to another, not entirely comfortable with the thought of such experiments, but if the end result was the return of his Grand Admiral to lead the Empire back to glory, he couldn’t really complain.

Thrawn must have noticed his discomfort, but mercifully didn’t comment on it. “When I was satisfied with the success of the experiments, I arranged for the growth of several clone bodies using my own as the template. The report of my death was to be the catalyst for the growth of those clones, and all but one were to be held in stasis unless the first failed. You have already heard the report of the first failure, but what Skywalker and Jade were not aware of when they attempted to sabotage the Hand of Thrawn was that there were other cloning chambers besides the one that they found and flooded, each of those chambers holding a different clone.”

Pellaeon blinked. Although it was very typical of Thrawn to plan for every contingency, to outstep his opponents by at least three paces at all times, it still boggled the mind that he could manage to prepare for so many possibilities.

Thrawn continued, “In any event, the second clone survived and succeeded. The transfer of essence is the final step in the entire process, and that was obviously successful as well. When I first discovered that bit of technology and had its capabilities deciphered, the first thing I did with it was attune it to my own biological signature so that it would capture my individuality in the event that I died. It did its job perfectly, and I do not doubt that it will do so again. In case it does not, there are back-up copies of that technology just as there are back-up facilities like that of the Hand of Thrawn.”

Pellaeon nodded, realizing that not only was Thrawn three steps ahead of all of his enemies, he was also three steps ahead of his allies. He didn’t doubt he would ever see the end of his ingenuity. “What happened to the other clones?”

“What of them? They are still there, still in stasis in the event that they may be needed. The essence transfer technology is still attuned to my biological signature, and will transmit my individuality into the next clone should I be killed. And even if there is never another attempt on my life, the fact remains that Chiss bodies are much like yours. We grow old and die. Perhaps I have found a way to stave off such inevitabilities. Perhaps indefinitely.”

“If that is true, then you hold the key to eternal life.”

“Not quite, Admiral. But near enough to it that I should not have to bother saying this is a closely guarded secret. I trust that this information will be strictly confidential.”

“Of course, Grand Admiral.” The fact that Thrawn entrusted this information to Pellaeon was not lost on him, and his chest swelled with pride knowing that the Grand Admiral had such trust and confidence in him. “I would take it to my grave.”

Thrawn’s eyes strayed to star-filled viewport ahead of them, his gaze losing its focus. “If there even remains such a thing left for you, Admiral. For what is the point of eternal life without competent and loyal men by my side throughout such a journey?”

Pellaeon’s eyebrows shot up, but he refused to allow the surprise to get the better of him. “…For the Empire to return to its rightful place in the galaxy, and to ensure that it remains there… It would be an honor and a pleasure to serve eternity with you, Grand Admiral.”


End file.
